Lifting apparatus and ultrasonic inspection system

Abstract

A lifting apparatus ( 100 ) is disclosed. The lifting apparatus ( 100 ) includes a power driving module ( 1 ) for providing a driving force, a plurality of lifting modules ( 21, 22, 23 ) for raising and lowering a supporting module ( 4 ) upon action of the driving force, and a transmission module ( 3 ) located under the supporting module ( 4 ) for transmitting the driving force to at least one of the plurality of lifting modules ( 21, 22, 23 ). An ultrasonic inspection system is also disclosed, which includes at least one ultrasonic probe and the lifting apparatus ( 100 ) for raising and lowering a workpiece ( 200 ) at least partly immersed in a liquid to a suitable position for inspection of the workpiece ( 200 ) by the at least one ultrasonic probe.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A lifting apparatus, comprising:
 a power driving module for providing a driving force; 
 a plurality of lifting modules for raising and lowering a supporting module upon action of the driving force, wherein the supporting module includes:
 a rotation table, and 
 a chuck module rotatably coupled to the rotation table, wherein a worm gear driving mechanism is disposed inside the rotation table to drive the chuck module to rotate; and 
 
 a transmission module located under the supporting module for transmitting the driving force to at least one of the plurality of lifting modules. 
 
     
     
       2. The lifting apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the transmission module comprises:
 a roller chain engaged to the at least one lifting module; and 
 at least one tension adjusting unit engaged to the roller chain for self-adjusting a tension of the roller chain when the tension of the roller chain is changed. 
 
     
     
       3. The lifting apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of lifting modules comprise a first lifting module, a second lifting module and a third lifting module, the power driving module provides the driving force to the first lifting module, and the transmission module is coupled to the first lifting module and transmits the driving force to the second lifting module and the third lifting module. 
     
     
       4. The lifting apparatus of  claim 3 , wherein the transmission module comprises:
 a first roller coupled to the first lifting module; 
 a second roller coupled to the second lifting module; 
 a third roller coupled to the third lifting module; 
 a roller chain surrounding the first roller, the second roller and the third roller; and 
 at least one tension adjusting unit engaged to the roller chain for self-adjusting a tension of the roller chain when the tension of the roller chain is changed. 
 
     
     
       5. The lifting apparatus of  claim 4 , wherein the at least one tension adjusting unit comprises:
 a first tension adjusting unit engaged to the roller chain between the first and the second lifting modules; 
 a second tension adjusting unit engaged to the roller chain between the first and the third lifting modules; and 
 a third tension adjusting unit engaged to the roller chain between the second and the third lifting modules, wherein 
 the first, the second and the third tension adjusting units are able to pretension the roller chain when the lifting apparatus is in a non-operating state; and 
 the first and the second tension adjusting units are able to self-adjust the tension of the roller chain in opposing directions when the lifting apparatus is in an operating state. 
 
     
     
       6. The lifting apparatus of  claim 2 , wherein the at least one tension adjusting unit comprises:
 a movable member; 
 a fixed member; and 
 a resilient member positioned between the movable member and the fixed member, wherein 
 the movable member is engaged to the roller chain to pretension the roller chain upon action of resilient force of the resilient member when the lifting apparatus is in a non-operating state, and 
 the movable member is able to move relative to the fixed member upon the action of resilient force of the resilient member when the lifting apparatus is in an operating state and the tension of the roller chain is changed. 
 
     
     
       7. The lifting apparatus of  claim 6 , wherein when the tension of the roller chain becomes lesser, the resilient member pushes the movable member in a direction toward the roller chain so as to increase the tension of the roller chain, and when the tension of the roller chain becomes greater, the resilient member pulls the movable member in a direction away from the roller chain so as to reduce the tension of the roller chain. 
     
     
       8. The lifting apparatus of  claim 6 , wherein the fixed member has a passage, and the movable member comprises a housing, a roller rotatably coupled to the housing and meshed with the roller chain, and a sliding rod, and wherein a first end of the sliding rod is fixed onto the housing and a second end of the sliding rod extends beyond the passage and is slidable within the passage upon the action of resilient force of the resilient member. 
     
     
       9. The lifting apparatus of  claim 8 , wherein the fixed member further comprises a sleeve pressed against one end of the resilient member and the other end of the resilient member is fixed onto the housing, and wherein the sleeve is detachably fixed within the passage and the sliding rod is slidable within the sleeve. 
     
     
       10. The lifting apparatus of  claim 9 , wherein the sleeve is so fixed that the resilient member is compressed and provides a pretension to allow the roller to mesh with the roller chain when the lifting apparatus is in the non-operating state. 
     
     
       11. The lifting apparatus of  claim 6 , wherein the at least one tension adjusting unit further comprises:
 a guiding member for guiding the movable member to move relative the fixed member. 
 
     
     
       12. The lifting apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein at least one of the plurality of lifting modules comprises:
 a positioned screw rod; 
 a nut; 
 a carriage vehicle for raising and lowering the supporting module; and 
 a nut fixed member comprising a first cylinder fixed onto the nut and a second cylinder, wherein 
 when the screw rod is driven to rotate upon the action of the driving force, the screw rod is able to cause the nut and the nut fixed member to move, and 
 the second cylinder is positioned within the carriage vehicle to allow the nut fixed member and the carriage vehicle to move and the nut is able to rotate about a vertical direction and is able to move along a connecting line direction between axes of the first and the second cylinders. 
 
     
     
       13. The lifting apparatus of  claim 12 , wherein the at least one lifting module further comprises:
 a guide pillar, wherein the carriage vehicle is movable along the guide pillar. 
 
     
     
       14. The lifting apparatus of  claim 12 , wherein the at least one lifting module further comprises:
 a pair of floating blocks positioned at opposite sides of the second cylinder in a rotatable contacting manner and able to move together with the nut fixed member along the connecting line direction. 
 
     
     
       15. The lifting apparatus of  claim 14 , wherein the carriage vehicle comprises a chamber, and the second cylinder and the pair of floating blocks are restricted in the chamber along the vertical direction Z by a press block which is fixed onto the carriage vehicle. 
     
     
       16. The lifting apparatus of  claim 15 , wherein the at least one lifting module further comprises:
 a damping member attached to an end of the second cylinder for damping vibration of the nut. 
 
     
     
       17. The lifting apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein at least one of the plurality of lifting modules comprises:
 an adjustable foot connected to the supporting module for supporting the supporting module and able to finely adjust a height of the supporting module in a stationary status. 
 
     
     
       18. The lifting apparatus of  claim 17 , wherein the adjustable foot comprises:
 a screw rod; and 
 an adjusting nut having a first nut threaded onto the screw rod and a second nut threaded onto the first nut and fixed onto the supporting module, wherein 
 when the first nut is rotated around the screw rod along a first direction, the second nut is able to raise so as to increase the height of the supporting module, and 
 when the first nut is rotated around the screw rod along a second direction, the second nut is able to lower so as to reduce the height of the supporting module. 
 
     
     
       19. The lifting apparatus of  claim 18 , wherein the adjustable foot further comprises:
 a turning joint connecting the screw rod with the at least one lifting module for increasing flexibility of movement of the supporting module. 
 
     
     
       20. The lifting apparatus of  claim 19 , wherein the plurality of lifting modules comprise a first lifting module, a second lifting module and a third lifting module, the adjustable foot comprise a first adjustable foot of the first lifting module, a second adjustable foot of the second lifting module and a third adjustable foot of the third lifting module, and the turning joint of the second adjustable foot is the same as the turning joint of the third adjustable foot and is different from the turning joint of the first adjustable foot. 
     
     
       21. The lifting apparatus of  claim 20 , wherein the turning joint of the first adjustable foot comprises a spherical joint for providing rotational degrees of freedom in the X-axis, Y-axis and Z-axis directions for the first adjustable foot, and the turning joint of each of the second and the third adjustable feet comprises a spherical joint providing rotational degrees of freedom in the X-axis, Y-axis and Z-axis directions for each of the second and the third adjustable feet and a hinge joint having a rotation axis and providing a rotation about the rotation axis for each of the second and the third adjustable feet. 
     
     
       22. The lifting apparatus of  claim 21 , wherein the rotation axes of the hinge joints of the second and the third adjustable feet are at an angle with a connecting line between a center of sphere of the spherical joint of the second adjustable foot and a center of sphere of the spherical joint of the third adjustable foot. 
     
     
       23. The lifting apparatus of  claim 21 , wherein the rotation axis of the hinge joint of the second adjustable foot is generally in parallel with a connecting line between a center of sphere of the spherical joint of the first adjustable foot and a center of sphere of the spherical joint of the third adjustable foot and the rotation axis of the hinge joint of the third adjustable foot is generally in parallel with a connecting line between the center of sphere of the spherical joint of the first adjustable foot and a center of sphere of the spherical joint of the second adjustable foot. 
     
     
       24. An ultrasonic inspection system, comprising:
 at least one ultrasonic probe; and 
 the lifting apparatus as claimed in  claim 1  for raising and lowering a workpiece at least partly immersed in a liquid to a suitable position for inspection of the workpiece by the at least one ultrasonic probe, wherein the workpiece is positioned on the supporting module of the lifting apparatus.